


First things

by Ssen



Category: GOT7
Genre: 2Jae, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Crown Prince! Youngjae, Enemies to Lovers, Jaebeom is annoying, Kinda, M/M, No Angst, Sexual Tension, Slow Burn, Traveller! Jaebeom, Traveller! Jinyoung, Traveller! Mark, bounty hunter! Bambam, but he's cool, travelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 10:54:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28812267
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ssen/pseuds/Ssen
Summary: Youngjae and Yugyeom need a guide. The one they find is a bit too smart and much too annoying. But maybe, if he tries hard enough, Youngjae will end up liking him.
Relationships: Choi Youngjae/Im Jaebum | JB
Comments: 16
Kudos: 47





	1. First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone !  
> Not much to say about this one except that I really wanted to write a fic in which Jaebeom would be a bit of an asshole, so I did ^^ It's very fun to write, so I hope you'll have fun reading it too !  
> Reminder: English isn't my 1st language, so I'll be very thankful if you could warn me if you find some mistakes here and there... I apologize if there are some ^^'
> 
> Anyways, the first chapter is short, but there'll probably be a lot of them. I'll try to post one every week or every two weeks, I don't know yet... Hope you'll enjoy ~

Youngjae is met with nothing but silence. The man on the left, the blond one, bites down onto his apple and chews slowly, looking at them like he doesn't give a single fuck. The man on the right, he's very scary, Youngjae thinks, and he does absolutely nothing, neither with his body nor with his face. He stays still and unmoving, staring right at him with focused eyes and a blank face, Youngjae could almost think he was, like, a stuffed animal or something. Or, more realistically, a statue. He doesn't even seem to be breathing.  
  


The one in the middle, although less scary, still makes Youngjae regret all of his life choices for a second. He raises an eyebrow - intimidating - and crosses his arms over his chest - intimidating - and his eyes are quite dark and thin - intimidating. He's also pretty tall and broad. Very, very intimidating. Youngjae looks at Yugyeom for help and reassurance, but the younger one tells him with one single glance that he's just as confused, or dares he say, as panicked as himself.   
  


"Can you repeat that ?" the one in the middle, who seems to be the leader, asks. His voice is… surprisingly soft actually, although there's a dark tone to it that isn't really menacing, but more like, a warning maybe.   
  


Youngjae is confused. He's asked his question very clearly, he thinks, and he wonders if people living out of the capital speak a somewhat different dialect, or if they're simply not educated enough to understand him. But okay. Alright. He can do this. _Keep it simple_ , he tells himself. 

  
"We," he says and he gestures towards Yugyeom, who looks even more scared than he is, then at himself. "Would like _you_ ," he points to the three of them one by one. "To take us to the Western Kingdom."   
  


There's a moment of silence during which the guy with the apple seems to be amused. The other one looks angry, irritated maybe, as he raises his eyebrow even higher. The one at the right, well, he doesn't really look like he's feeling any emotion at all, and Youngjae would rather not look at him anyway. It's awkward.   
  


"As a guide." he specifies, thinking he kinda needs to explain further. Then he adds, "please," because he's forgotten.   
  


"We're not dumbos," the blond guy laughs, and it's a relief, because Youngjae was truly starting to have doubts about that. Also, he seems quite friendly, more than the two others at least, which is cool given how uncomfortable Youngjae is feeling. 

"Ah… sorry…" he makes, then waits for an answer.   
  


After a while, the least scary of the two scary men, the leader one, sighs. "What are you ?" he asks, and Youngjae is lost. 

"What… am… I…" he repeats slowly. What is he ? 

"Yeah. A Duke ?" he tries. Youngjae chokes. What ?  
  


"Or an Earl maybe ? A Prince ?" the man continues, staring down at him. Youngjae sends another panicked glance to Yugyeom, wondering if it's too late to run away and pretend nothing happened. Probably. 

"What, no…" he mutters, but he knows it's weak. "I'm just… I'm a traveller ? And I'd like to go to the Western Kingdom." 

"Yeah, okay, bullshit." the other snaps and with wide eyes and parted lips Youngjae watches him turn away and start to leave. "We don't guide liars, so good luck for your journey, _travellers_ ."   
  


Youngjae hesitates. For a second, he does. But then he thinks… It's probably worth it, isn't it ? Those guys look like they travel quite a lot. And Youngjae _needs_ help.  
  


Yugyeom answers with a helpless shrug when their eyes meet, so Youngjae knows it's his decision only and he doesn't know how dangerous it could be, but he knows what he wants and he's gonna have it. "Wait !" he exclaims. The guy, who's the only that has been walking away, or even moving at all really, stops and he doesn't turn back, but he does tilt his head to look at him and he quirks his eyebrow again.   
  


"Okay. A Prince. I admit it." Youngjae has no idea how the vagabond figured it out, and that quickly on top of it. He thought the way they dressed would make them look… normal. Apparently not.  
  


"Which Kingdom ?" the blond guy asks, looking genuinely curious and surprised. Youngjae sighs. Okay. They're doing this. 

"This one. Eastern Kingdom. I'm prince Youngjae of the Eastern Kingdom. And he," he points to Yugyeom again. "Is my best friend. And my personal attendant."

"The crown Prince ! Wow." The blond guy says. He suddenly looks more interested, throwing his apple somewhere in the wet grass and taking his other hand out of his pocket. "That's cool ! I'm Mark, I'm from the North." Youngjae sighs, relieved that they're finally introducing each other. It was really awkward. "This guy over here," Mark points to the most scary one, who still hasn't uttered a single word, "is Jinyoung. And the grumpy one is Jaebeom. Don't pay attention to him though, he's grumpy."   
  


Yugyeom laughs nervously beside him, and Youngjae thinks that he would much rather pay attention to the grumpy one than to the frightening one. "Hi… Mark." he shyly greets. Should he also say " _Nice to meet you_ " ? That wouldn't be a lie, but also not the whole truth…  
  


Yugyeom saves him from the awkwardness. Before Youngjae can speak again, he introduces himself too, looking like he wants to bow but doesn’t know if he should. It makes Youngjae realize that he forgot to mention his best friend’s name, and he feels a little bit guilty, but he’s still too preoccupied by Jaebeom, who has walked back to them, and who is still looking at him with very sharp eyes. He watches him as he pushes his tongue against the inside of his cheek, looking both deep in thoughts and, for some reasons, very irritated.   
  


“The Western Kingdom, huh…” he mumbles between his teeth. Then, louder: “We won’t help you.”

His voice is firm, finite, it leaves no room for discussion. Yet Youngjae can’t let it go just like that. “Why not ?! We can pay !” he exclaims.   
  


It’s only then that the third guy, Jinyoung, if Youngjae remembers correctly, finally moves. It’s surprising, Youngjae was really starting to think he was dead inside. “Alright !” he smiles, and Jaebeom’s eyes widen when his wrist is grasped and Jinyoung starts pulling him away. “I’m gonna talk to him for a sec, but don’t worry, we’ll be right back babies !” Then he winks to them, his eyes crinkling as his smile widens cheekily.   
  


Youngjae is left gaping, astonished, so stunned that he forgets to look at Yugyeom to share another lost look. Instead he just stares as Jaebeom trips a bit and tells Jinyoung, “Hey !” and “Jinyoung what the fuck !” and “Let go of me !”. He doesn’t look too happy with the way he’s being dragged further into the clearing.  
  


“Don’t worry, they’ll be back really soon and they’ll agree,” Mark smiles again as he runs a hand through his messy hair. Youngjae looks back at him and remembers to close his mouth when he sees his amused look.

“Did he just…” he stutters, “...Call us babies ?!”  
  


The older laughs and walks closer. “Well, you’re indeed quite young ain’t you ? How old are you ?”  
  


Youngjae isn’t sure he should answer, but Yugyeom looks like he wants to. He opens his mouth, and he’s barely started his sentence that the other two are already back, Jinyoung with a huge smile and Jaebeom with both hands in his pockets and the grumpiest look Youngjae has ever witnessed. “We’ll help you !” Jinyoung beams. He’s holding the leader by the arm as if he feared he would run away.  
  


This time when Youngjae and Yugyeom look at each other, it’s with hopeful and excited smiles on their faces. Mark is now close enough to them to whisper, “I told you so,” but before Youngjae can even think about thanking him Jaebeom interrupts them with a loud sigh. From the way he tenses his jaw, he seems pissed off.

“Don’t say it like that, Jinyoung, we have conditions…” he mumbles. 

“Ah, right. We’ll help you, but--”

“BUT,” Jaebeom interrupts and he shakes off the grip around his arm to get closer to them. For some reason he only looks at Youngjae when he raises one finger and says, “First thing. We’ll get you to the border of the Western Kingdom, but we won’t cross it. You can be in danger or whatever afterwards, we _won’t_ cross it. Am I clear ?”  
  


His stare is very scary this time, Youngjae doesn’t even think about denying him. Both him and Yugyeom nod quickly, Youngjae with the most determined face he can manage, and Yugyeom swallowing nervously. He seems as afraid of Jaebeom as Youngjae is of Jinyoung.  
  


The leader nods too, slowly and he licks his lips. “Second thing…” he adds and a slight smirk appears on the angry face they were already used to. Youngjae gets a bit closer to Yugyeom, trying to reassure him.   
  


“...You buy us everything we need.”  
  


It can’t be too bad, Youngjae thinks as he nods again. He has money. And they can’t have that many things to buy, can they ?

  
  


They can. They go to the nearest town, and they decide to split into two teams: Yugyeom, Mark and Jinyoung would go buy food and water, and, well, everything that is _normal_ to buy before a long trip. Youngjae, to his great dismay, is left alone with Jaebeom -it’s better than being alone with Jinyoung, but _still_ !- and they walk down the paved streets, Youngjae sighing every now and then every time Jaebeom sees something very useless and suddenly decides he needs it in his life. Youngjae is tempted to refuse a few times. But each time he hesitates, Jaebeom sends him a smug look and walks confidently into the shop, leaving Youngjae absolutely no choice.   
  


“I need a new camp bed.” he decides at one point. Youngjae sighs and has to pinch the bridge of his nose to calm himself down. They passed by a shop that sells bed camps. Fifteen minutes before. In the same street they’ve been walking in for what feels like hours. 

“Have you even ever had one ?” he asks, irritated. Jaebeom turns his head toward him and smiles.

“Nope. That’s why I need a new one.”  
  


Inside the shops, Jaebeom takes hours to decide which bed he wants, and he also decides to buy -make Youngjae buy, actually- a futon mattress that they can roll and hook to their already way too heavy backpacks. It’s thin, but Jaebeom insists that it’ll make him sleep better and that it’s absolutely necessary. He leaves the shop even before Youngjae could pay for them, and the salesman tries to call him back, but Jaebeom pretends he doesn’t hear and sends one last smirk to Youngjae before he closes the door behind him.   
  


It’s expensive as hell. Youngjae’s eyes widen when he sees the amount of cash he’s just handed to the man. “You should tell your friend that he can’t take our items with him before they’re paid for,” he chastises. Youngjae refrains himself from wincing at the word “ _friend_ ” and smiles apologetically. “I wish he would care.” He makes sure to bow very low afterwards. Jaebeom is already far when he leaves, he has to run up to him before he loses sight of him.  
  


“It looks heavy,” he comments as they keep walking down the street and he sees Jaebeom’s muscle tensing a bit while he carries both, the futon and the camp bed. 

“Well, for you, I’m sure it would be,” Jaebeom shrugs as well as he can. “But I’m not as weak as you so it’s fine.”

Youngjae isn’t fooled. No matter what he says, the more they walk and the more it becomes obvious that he’s struggling. “Jaebeom, it’s heavy. You won’t be able to carry this for… How long did you say the trip was going to be ?”

“A month and a half, maybe two. And I’m _fine._ ”

“Sure. Well, don’t complain when your back hurts at the end of the day then.” Youngjae huffs, annoyed. What's the point of buying a mattress to help with his back pain if he has to carry it on his back at day time anyway ?  
  


Jaebeom stops walking, making Youngjae almost collide with him, and he stares down at him as if contemplating. “...What ?” the Prince asks, embarrassed as Jaebeom just keeps looking and says nothing.

“You know what," he suddenly says, "You’re right. Buy me a mule.”

“A _what_?!” Youngjae shrieks. He’s not serious, is he ? He can’t be serious. 

“Well, yeah." he smiles, "We do need something to carry all the stuff we’ve bought, don’t we ?”

He’s serious. 

When they go back to where they had agreed they would all meet, Youngjae feels very embarrassed. The other three are already there and they bought a very _decent_ amount of food. Youngjae and Jaebeom, however, come back with a fucking _mule._ All three of them widen their eyes when they see it. Then they each have a very different reaction.  
  


Mark bursts out laughing, so hard that he almost makes the mule run away at the loud sound and Youngjae has to struggle against it and calm it down to avoid a disaster - such as, losing all the things he’s spent hundreds of coins on about ten minutes after having bought it. “Are you fucking _serious_ ?!” Mark exclaims. Jaebeom’s answering smile is very proud and very smug. Jinyoung sends him a disapproving look that makes Youngjae think he might not be as bad as he seems, but he’s ignored. Yugyeom’s glance toward Youngjae is very worried.   
  


“Alright, let’s go !” Jaebeom cheers, looking happier than Youngjae has ever seen him. He wraps an arm around Jinyoung’s shoulders and the three of them start walking away, leaving Youngjae alone with a scared mule and a confused best friend.  
  


He hugs Yugyeom’s arm and lets his forehead collapse against his broad shoulder with a deep sigh. It’s not even the beginning, he reminds himself. They haven’t even started the trip yet.

He’s already exhausted.


	2. First Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngjae spends the night awake, next to the camp fire. Unfortunately, Jaebeom can't seem to sleep either.

"You're not sleeping," Youngjae hears someone talking from behind him. He doesn't turn around. He's barely known this voice, this guy for a day but he can already recognise him.   
  


He doesn't answer either. He's too focused on the fire in front of him, how the flames move and how it makes the shadows all around him shake. The warmth it provides him with, the loud cracking sounds it makes. It's funny how it looks dangerous despite being absolutely essential.   
  


Just like the guy who is quietly sitting down next to him, spreading his legs before him and stretching obnoxiously, not seeming even a tiny bit bothered by having interrupted the quiet of the night, the calm that Youngjae was seeking. Youngjae quickly glances at him, but looks back to the fire when their eyes meet. Why is he even looking at him in the first place ?  
  


"So, wassup ?" Jaebeom says, his voice still deep and so loud, too loud when the others are already sleeping not far from them. Youngjae still doesn't answer. He doesn't have too, and clearly doesn't want to.   
  


"What ? Are you scared ? You don't feel safe now that your little servant isn't here to protect you ?" Jaebeom asks, his voice fakely sweet, mocking him. Youngjae feels like he's being talked to as if he was a baby, he hates it. He wonders why that guy can't just let him be, why he even joined him in the first place. Maybe he couldn't sleep either, and went bothering him just to pass time. Maybe he truly enjoys annoying him.   
  


He sighs. "Yugyeom's not my little servant." he snaps. "He's my friend and I can perfectly protect myself." 

Jaebeom shoots him an amused glance, the corners of his lips curving up slightly. It almost makes him look a bit softer, but for some reason he also raises an eyebrow, and he goes back to looking like a perfect asshole. "Really…" he makes, slowly, as if contemplating. "So if I attacked you right now, and tried to steal all your money… You'd be able to defend yourself ?"   
  


The grin has stretched into a smirk as he talked, and Youngjae suddenly frowns, discreetly reaching for his dagger that is still securely hooked to his belt. Jaebeom notices, obviously, and his eyes follow the movement with a glint that Youngjae has trouble interpreting, but it's probably amusement again. He laughs out loud, apparently not caring that he could wake his friends up at any moment. Youngjae would shush him, but he really doesn't want to make him angry.   
  


"So you really  _ are _ scared in the end !" Jaebeom chuckles, he looks way too happy about it. He truly does enjoy making Youngjae uncomfortable.

"I don't trust you." he retorts curtly, looking back to the fire that is way more enjoyable to look at anyway. Not that Jaebeom isn't… easy on the eye. He is. He's just so frustrating.

"That's smart, you shouldn't trust me. But I told you I wouldn't do anything to you, and I won't. If I wanted to I would have done that already."  
  


No matter how much Youngjae doesn't want to, he has to look back at him again, just to see if he's being genuine or not. Not that he can read his face easily, he can't, but he can  _ try _ . And Jaebeom does look a bit more serious now, still grinning, a bit playful, but not mischievous anymore. Youngjae sighs again. He's too tired for that kind of conversation. "Whatever," he shrugs.

  
"Hey, I was actually trying to be reassuring here !" Jaebeom laughs again, obnoxiously. His laugh, just like his voice, sounds loud but very clear and soft, very elegant, and Youngjae thinks it's unfair. If he's a jerk, he should sound like a jerk too. At least he does look sharp. But in a handsome way. He really is unfair. 

  
"C'mon, tell me what's on your mind." Jaebeom nudges him with his elbow, a bit too hard and Youngjae winces as it digs into his waist. He shoots him a confused glance, brows furrowing as he wonders if he's heard right. 

"What…?" he asks, and Jaebeom's eyes shine with the same glint as earlier. 

"Tell me what's on your mind," he repeats with a playful smile. "Or whatever. Tell me whatever, I'm bored."

"You should just go to sleep." he retorts.

"So should you, but we're not and I don't want to. C'mon, entertain me." 

  
Youngjae sighs again. He shouldn't, should he ? Jaebeom is an asshole, why would he even want to talk to him about what's bothering him ? But at the same time, wouldn't it be a good way to bond ? When they're alone, having deep conversations at night around a fire. That's how travellers bond, isn't it ?  
  


"...How did you know I was a prince ?" he ends up asking. Safe enough. It's not a too personal question, but it has really been running through his mind all day. 

Jaebeom smirks again as he turns to face him better, exposing his left side to the fire. "You look like one," he states simply, leaning down onto his elbows and stretching his legs before him, the dirty soles of his shoes brushing against Youngjae's new pants. He's so nonchalant, Youngjae thinks. He'd like to be able not to care, too.   
  


"How do I look like a traveller then ?" he questions, and this time Jaebeom takes a little while before answering, staring right at him in a very, very stressful way. Youngjae doesn't like this stare, it's too sharp, too  _ knowing _ , as if he was analysing him. He's too intimidating.

"Mmh…" Jaebeom hums, and Youngjae is surprised that he's actually thinking about it, that he doesn't tell him "you could never" or simply to fuck off.   
  


"One of the most important things is that you don't look… tough enough. You're too cute." Youngjae almost chokes. Did he just… ?

"Don't call me cute !" he raises his voice for the first time, he has merely been murmuring all this time. Jaebeom doesn't seem to care, he smirks and chuckles and keeps talking.

"What I mean is, you look like you're used to being protected. To not have to worry about your safety. When you walk, you look forward or down. When you talk, you focus on something, be it Yugyeom, the person you're talking to or a damn camp fire -- would you look at me when I'm talking to you ?"  
  


Youngjae does. He doesn't know why, but he does. Jaebeom's voice has suddenly become more commanding, tone deeper and firmer and Youngjae looks up at him almost by instinct, not even thinking about it. It's only when Jaebeom smiles  _ that smile _ again that he realises -- he just obeyed him. Jaebeom gave him an order and he  _ obeye _ d. Why would he ? Why  _ did  _ he ? Just because he used a demanding voice. That's so stupid, he is the Prince here, he should be the one giving orders. Yet, surprisingly, he doesn't look away anymore, and even more surprisingly Jaebeom doesn't comment on it at all. He just winks cheekily and resumes his speech.   
  


"You're not aware of your surroundings at all, and you don't seem to care, or to even  _ know _ , that danger can come from any direction at any moment. You need to look around, Prince. To  _ watch _ and  _ pay attention. _ " the way he says  _ Prince _ is so sarcastic, it's funny how a word that has been used to describe him countless times in the past can suddenly make him feel insulted. Youngjae huffs, his dark hair flying away from his face for a second before it falls back against his forehead. 

"I  _ do _ pay attention. And I never see you looking around either."

"Then you're not paying attention enough," Jaebeom retorts with a cute chuckle and a half-smile that bares his teeth for a second. "Did you know ?" he adds, "There's a cute bunny on your left."   
  


Youngjae knows it's probably a trap, but he doesn't wait a second before he turns harshly to his left and inspects the high grass and bushes, looking for movement. But as soon as he does, Jaebeom makes a somewhat disappointed humming sound and he's pouting when Youngjae looks back at him. "Ahh, you moved too quickly, he ran away… That's too bad, he was so cute…" he complains, looking and sounding like a child and Youngjae just  _ knows  _ he's making fun of him again. How is he going to put up with him for two whole  _ months  _ ?

"I'm pretty sure there was nothing at all." he grumbles, growing more annoyed the more Jaebeom talks and while minutes ago he didn't want to go to sleep at all, now he really wishes he had. 

"How can you know ? Since you didn't look," the older teases. 

"I didn't, but I'm still sure you made that up."

"Did I, did I not ? You'd have known if you had been careful." 

  
Jaebeom's voice is too happy, too cheerful for that time of the night and especially for someone who keeps on being a jerk to him all the time. Youngjae is not someone who gets angry easily and he's glad, because if he was he would have already woken Yugyeom up and left to find another guide. "Whatever," he huffs again and plans to turn back to the fire, but of course, Jaebeom's clear voice stops him.

"Wait." he says and when Youngjae glances back up at him he looks suddenly more serious, his teasing smile nowhere to be seen. Expect it comes back way too soon when Youngjae raises both eyebrows, because he can't only raise one, and waits for an explanation. "Alright, no need to look so frustrated, I was actually trying to help you know ?" Jaebeom laughs. Youngjae still doesn't answer, keeps waiting, and for some reason that makes Jaebeom laugh again, even louder.   
  


"Okay, okay. I get it. I'm gonna teach you a few things."  
  


Youngjae is, once again, surprised, when Jaebeom suddenly becomes serious and gestures for Youngjae to sit facing him this time, no hint of teasing or mischief on his face. "Look, first thing." he raises one finger in the air. "I was having fun earlier, because it's… well, funny, but what I said was an actual piece of advice. You have to be careful, Prince, both for your credibility as a traveller and for your own safety. Be aware of what's around you, pay attention, check behind you from time to time and when you do meet someone, show them that you're wary. Show them that you know they could attack you, but that you're not scared. It's enough to dissuade most of them."  
  


Youngjae is caught off guard by the sudden seriousness, but he listens closely, thinking that it actually does make sense.   
  


"You need to look strong, tough and confident." Great. Youngjae is none of that. Well, strong, maybe a bit, but the other two… not quite. Jaebeom makes a weird face, as if he was hesitating for a second, then he raises another finger. "Alright, second thing in order to look tough: straighten up."   
  


The demanding, firm voice from earlier is back and this time it's on purpose that Youngjae obeys, sitting straighter and putting his hands on his thighs, just like he did when he had class and he wanted to show his teacher that he was listening. It's kind of a class now too, Jaebeom is staring at him and judging how well he does, probably trying to spot his mistakes. If he could always be that serious, Youngjae thinks he would like him.   
  


"Look at me in the eyes. Hold the eye contact." He orders again and Youngjae does just that, looking at him with the most confident look he can manage. "Look sharp." This time Youngjae hesitates, uncertainty coming back onto his face. He would love to, but he doesn't really know how to do that. Has he not been looking sharp enough just now ? He has tried.  
  


"Come on." Jaebeom smiles, an encouraging smile this time. "Give me your best intimidating, angry stare."  
  


Youngjae thinks he has done that before already, when he was trying to make Jaebeom understand that he couldn't stand him. He gives it another try, but he doesn't think it's any better. It's not the same kind of intimidating, cold looks he's been taught to give when he was younger and learning how to behave during a ceremony. This time he has to look aggressive, scary even, and he doesn't think he can do that.  
  


Jaebeom's eyes, that were still burning holes into his, suddenly darken and Youngjae takes the hint, tries to imitate him. The way he tilts his head forward a bit, the way he furrows his brows, but not too much; he's calm, collected, yet completely in control and he lets it show.   
  


They keep looking into each other's eyes for a while as if they wanted to kill each other or as if they were preparing for a duel. Jaebeom keeps the eye contact even when he raises a third finger. "Alright, perfect," he praises, his voice slower and so, so much darker that Youngjae feels an actual shiver running down his spine. It's scary as fuck, Jaebeom is, and even a tiny bit hot, although of course Youngjae refuses to think about it. He looks so menacing, so powerful…  
  


"Okay and now you cross your eyes, you stick out your tongue and you make a V-sign !" the elder suddenly exclaims happily, his eyes forming thin crescents as the largest smile Youngjae has even seen appears on his face. He almost chokes on his own spit. 

"Excuse me ?!" he yells, and he would have been worried about waking the others up, if Jaebeom hadn't laughed even louder at least ten times already and they didn't budge. That's what he's doing now, by the way, laughing. He almost tears up from laughing too hard at Youngjae's reaction and Youngjae just watches him, bewildered, stunned. Did he really…? ...Just when he thought he was becoming bearable ?

  
"Oh, boy, that was something…" Jaebeom sighs, wiping a tear at the corner of his eyes, still chuckling a little and he looks out of breath. He's even blushing, his face red from how much he laughed, it's ridiculous. Youngjae can't believe him.  
  


"You're so funny..." Jaebeom beams, out of breath, he looks so proud of his bad joke and he seems to find Youngjae's astonished face hilarious. And as if it wasn't enough, he raises yet another finger. "You're way too polite, god…" he manages to say between his chuckles. "Normal people don't say ' _ excuse me'  _ when they're being teased ! They say 'fuck off' or… I don't know, they stab ?"  
  


Youngjae rolls his eyes. If there's something he'd learn from this trip, it's definitely how to do that. "People don't stab other people just because they told them to stick their tongue out," he huffs. Jaebeom, once again, smirks.

"Well, good boys surely don't. They do what they're told. And you're a good boy, Prince, ain't you ?" His smile and voice are sly and Youngjae thinks that had he been a violent person, he'd have hit him.

"Don't even think of it."

"Aww, why not… you were so good at following my orders just now, I know you can do it !" 

"I'm the Prince, remember ?" Youngjae deadpans. "If anyone should be giving orders right now, it's me." 

Jaebeom smiles. "And yet one of us is doing everything the other tells him to and it's obviously not me."  
  


Youngjae releases an nth heavy sigh, hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Never in his whole life -and he's  _ twenty _ !- has he met such a frustrating and annoying person. He didn't even know someone like that could  _ exist. _   
  


Fuck it, he thinks. If Jaebeom wants him to stick out his tongue, he'll do it. But not in the way he expects him to.   
  


He does it like a child taunting his friends, with the angriest face he can manage. He wants to show how ridiculous he thinks the elder is being. And feeling ashamed would be worth it. (It's also a little bit funny, the whole situation really, but no way in hell is he going to admit it.)  
  


Jaebeom actually looks genuinely surprised this time. His eyes widen and he shifts back a bit, gaping at him with a look of utter confusion. Then he bursts out laughing, throwing his head back, exposing his throat. Because he's starting to know him well, and because he expected it, Youngjae smiles for a second. It's  _ actually  _ funny. Let's be real.   
  


"You laugh too much," he still states, worried about their friends. "And too loud. You're gonna wake them up." And because Jaebeom told him he was too polite, he adds a stern "Shut up." just to be sure. Jaebeom has still not calmed from his laughing fit and he doesn't seem to care.   
  


"Oh, you're too funny…" he repeats. "You're so obedient, I'm gonna have so much fun bossing you around," he smiles again, as he lets himself fall backward completely, eventually lying down. Youngjae frowns.

"I told you, I'm not obedient."

"You are, though ? I told you to stick out your tongue and you did. Isn't that obeying ?"

"I didn't do it the way you wanted me to !" Youngjae protests. 

"Mmh ?" Jaebeom asks through a yawn, stretching his arms and crossing them behind his head. Then he sends him another playful glance, his lips stretching into a slow grin. "I don't remember asking you to do it in any special way though."  
  


Youngjae doesn't answer, because he doesn't know how he could. What should he say ? Jaebeom is right, but wrong at the same time, he's misinterpreting the whole thing. But then again he is probably just twisting his words to make him angry. "Just admit it, Prince." He chuckles. "You're a good boy."  
  


_ That's it _ , Youngjae thinks. He's had enough. He's actually thankful for the advice he's been given, but for the rest… he really can't stand him. Thinking that he's talked to him enough for, like, a few weeks, he plans to get up and lie back down next to Yugyeom. He might not be able to sleep yet, but at least he would be able to pretend and he would be left alone.

Except he's barely put a foot on the ground that suddenly it's snapped from under him and he falls backward, two hands pushing his shoulders down and pinning him to the ground. Then he feels a weight settle on top of him and he realises, to his absolute horror, that Jaebeom -- that asshole is straddling him. His hands move from his shoulders to his chest as he smirks darkly, pushing him down firmly just to make sure he wouldn't move.   
  


Youngjae tries nevertheless. He squirms, shifts, struggles, as panic rises in his chest at an alarming speed. "What are you doing ?!" he exclaims, this time not caring about the loudness of his voice. If the others hear at least they'll wake up and help him. If Jinyoung and Mark aren't his accomplices, that is.  
  


So, is this it ? Is he gonna get his money stolen just like he thought he would ? Did Jaebeom really lie ? But then why did he tell him all those things… Why did he waste so much time ? And is he going to kill him afterwards ?   
  


In a desperate attempt he tries to reach for his dagger, but of course Jaebeom notices, or maybe he even expected it, because as soon as he touches the handle, a strong arm takes a hold of his wrist, while the other forcefully snatches the weapon away and throws it somewhere in the grass, out of reach. Before Youngjae can even think of taking advantage of the situation to move or attack him, the powerful pressure against his chest is back and the wrist that Jaebeom has been holding is pinned to the ground.  
  


He's helpless, he realises. Unable to move, disarmed, powerless. He can't cope with the situation, can't understand what's happening, and definitely can't do anything about it. Even if he was stronger than Jaebeom, he wouldn't be able to do anything, the elder has the upper hand and he's surprisingly skilled at pinning him down.   
  


Defeated, Youngjae stills and lets himself fall back in the grass, closing his eyes as he softly but gradually starts shaking. So be it. He'll be robbed tonight. And murdered too, maybe. He hopes not.   
  


"Oh, you're done struggling already ?" Jaebeom's clear voice asks, sounding suspiciously disappointed. Youngjae exhales shakily. He's scared shitless, but he doesn't open his eyes. 

"Do what you need to do," he murmurs in defeat. "But please, make it quick."

"This, Prince, sounds like an invitation to something I wouldn't refuse, especially in this position…" he puts even more weight on Youngjae's hips to underline his words. "...but I don't think you mean it in the way  _ I  _ understand it."   
  


There's a smile in his voice, a sly, dark one, one that screams _ danger _ . Yet Jaebeom doesn't move, and when Youngjae tentatively opens his eyes he finds him looking intently at him, intimidating, scary, but not threatening. 

"...Why ?" he asks quietly. He really doesn't understand and his wrist is starting to hurt from being twisted in an awkward position and held too tight.   
  


Luckily, Jaebeom seems to notice, and with a puzzlingly soft smile he gently lets go of his wrist and sits straighter. His now free hand joins the second one on Youngjae's chest, he seems to like that position. Youngjae doesn't know what to make of it all. Wasn't he going to get killed ? Was he ?  
  


"Your clothes are clean." Jaebeom says and Youngjae barely manages an unintelligible "Huh ?" that makes him snort mockingly.

"They're too clean." he insists. "Even if you bought normal clothes we can still guess that you're rich because they're obviously new. A real traveller has dirty, used, worn-out clothes. And now you," Jaebeom boops his nose. He actually, really, boops his nose. "Since you've been having fun wriggling around in the grass, yours are gonna be super super dirty !" he exclaims cutely and cheerfully as if he was actually telling Youngjae some good news.   
  


The Prince's eyes widen as he finally understands what happens, what Jaebeom has done,  _ why  _ he has done it and how he has been scared for  _ nothing.  _ And he's about to tell Jaebeom how much of an asshole he thinks he is, when the elder makes a contemplative sound, mutters "Actually…" and suddenly takes his own dagger out of its sheath.   
  


Youngjae should know better by now, but he chokes and panics again and a scream dies in his throat when suddenly he feels a powerful grip around his biceps and the blade gets closer to his skin. "Don't move." he warns, his voice deeper again. Youngjae would be very, very thankful if he could stop switching from happy and annoying to menacing and scary. "We don't want you to get hurt, do we ?" he asks while another slow grin appears on his face, and Youngjae shivers when he feels the cold metal against his skin. It isn't the sharp side of the blade, it can't cut him, but his heart is still beating heavily as if it wanted to escape from his chest when the weapon digs into his arm, creating a dent in the soft flesh.   
  


Then a loud tearing sound echoes in the forest and Youngjae suddenly realises that -- that bastard ripped a whole part of his sleeve. He should have expected it, probably, but seriously,  _ who does that  _ ?!   
  


"What the fuck, Jaebeom !" he whisper-yells, so angry but also still so afraid, thinking that a single wrong move or wrong word could have Jaebeom cutting a deep wound into his arm. He doesn't, though. He just shushes him and shifts back a little, sitting on his calves so he has access to his thigh this time. His eyes are dark and Youngjae gasps when he repeats the same actions, fingertips digging hard into the fabric of his pants.  
  


The trousers are tight against his thighs and this time Youngjae thinks Jaebeom leaves a tiny wound on his skin when he cuts a hole in the fabric. He then puts the dagger down beside them and with a weird gentleness he hooks two fingers of both his hands in the hole.   
  


Then he suddenly pulls both sides apart and the tearing sound happens again as he widens the hole as much as he can, cold air meeting warm skin and Youngjae gasps again, tenses and in a desperate attend to get rid of both the fear and the shame he's feeling, he grabs Jaebeom's forearms and tries to push them away. It looks like the easiest thing he's ever done when Jaebeom shakes his grip off, and with a satisfied smile he eyes the art he's created, Youngjae's sleeve reduced to shreds and a whole patch of milky skin showing through the large hole on his thigh.   
  


Youngjae closes his eyes again, shaking, feeling every kind of negative emotion one could ever think of and most of it is a painful stab of shame. From not having fought hard enough, from not having thought fast enough, from having some of his clothes ripped by a man who's currently sitting back down on his hips. He should have pushed him away. He should have  _ tried  _ more. 

  
"There you go," Jaebeom has the audacity to say, and he even dares to sound proud. "A perfect little vagabond."  
  


Youngjae feels himself shivers again, and distantly he notices that he's tearing up a bit. He wills himself to resist, to stay strong, but the adrenaline and fear are still pumping into his veins and he can't believe he just laid there and let him do whatever. Why didn't he move ?   
  


He hears a sigh from above him, and suddenly there's a warm hand petting his stomach. It's supposed to be reassuring, that much is obvious, and it actually works a little. He takes a deep breath, still shaky, but when he exhales he opens his eyes and glances up to his guide.   
  


His face is unreadable. There's no smile, no smirk, no dark eyes. He just stares at him with a blank face, except Youngjae can see another glint in his eyes and he doesn't understand it, but it's definitely not the same amusement as earlier.   
  


Jaebeom straightens his back, shifting a bit on his hips and both hands move up a little until he's caressing the skin below Youngjae's ribcage through the rough fabric of his shirt. "You know…" he murmurs, and Youngjae's eyes follow the movement as he slowly, very slowly licks his lips, his eyes burning holes into Youngjae's face. "You're very cute. I could have you right now…"   
  


Youngjae's blood boils. Finally,  _ finally _ , he manages to will himself to move and he pushes Jaebeom back so hard that he almost falls butt first into the fire behind them. "No way !!" he yells and abruptly stands up. He doesn't stay, doesn't look down at him, doesn't yell at him nor hit him even if he could and probably should. He just picks up his dagger as quickly as he can and walks away, wanting to go lay down next to Yugyeom, to snuggle up to him, to feel safe again. He's disgusted. Jaebeom is disgusting. 

  
And he really tries to ignore the other's annoyingly loud laugh and his exclamation of "See, you can give me an angry glare if you try hard enough !", but it's hard when it's literally the only sound in the whole forest. Except cute bunnies hiding and moving in the bushes, obviously.

Even with his arms wrapped tightly around his best friend's back, he has trouble calming his pounding heart down. And in the morning when he wakes up, Jinyoung raises a brow at him and gives him a once over. He says nothing, but later when they're walking side by side on a small path through the forest, he tells him, "You don't need grass stains or holes in your clothes to look like a traveller, you know. Jaebeom's just a perv." 

Youngjae knows none of this is his fault, but he still feels himself flushing from shame and embarrassment. And for the next few days he ignores Jaebeom completely, because that jerk surely deserves it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love asshole Jaebeom so much.... He's unbelievable. Hope you had fun ;)


	3. First Friendships

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Youngjae doesn't know how to act around Jaebeom anymore... And Jaebeom keeps on being his usual pervy self

Youngjae doesn't ignore Jaebeom or stop talking to him altogether, because, well, it's kinda hard to do when they're spending all days together, walking beside each other, and sleeping beside each other all the time. What he does, though, is trying his hardest not to ever be alone with him again. Because when the others are here, Jinyoung often helps to control Jaebeom's wildness, and they've barely been gone for days, yet Jinyoung has already saved Youngjae a few dozens of times. Jaebeom is very, very insistent and he seems to love Youngjae as a target. He must think it's funny. Youngjae thinks he's a douche.   
  


Apart from this, the trip is actually going quite well. They've only been walking through the forest, and although the landscape is admittedly very pretty, it's a bit of a struggle to zigzag between trees, roots, cobwebs and bushes everywhere, it slows them down a lot. They also have to sleep in the open, lying on the ground. Youngjae hates it, because he's very scared of bugs and spiders, so he often has troubles falling asleep, feeling like there's always something on him, running on his skin.   
  


Therefore, the mattress Jaebeom has made him buy proves to be quite helpful. He asked for it with his back pain as an excuse, but for some reason they decided that Yugyeom and Youngjae would share it instead. Because, "You know, you're rich boys, so you're fragile. We don't want you to complain all the time." Stating Jaebeom, of course. The other three take turns at using the camp bed.   
  


Yugyeom and Youngjae have been talking to Mark a lot. Despite the first impression he gave them, he's actually very quiet, but friendly. He doesn't talk much, but he smiles and laughs often and he's pretty great company. Youngjae likes him a lot. He even considers him as a friend.  
  


He's also getting used to Jinyoung, slowly but surely. He's still scary, especially when he goes back to that emotionless guy he was when they first met - Youngjae has learned that he's often like this when he's thinking hard. Which he does often, because Jinyoung is smart as fuck. Otherwise, he's pretty cool. A lot more serious than the two others and while he doesn't nearly smile as much as Mark, he's obviously kind and caring to his friends.  
  


Which is the issue. Because he's Jaebeom's best friend, and he's quite observant, and even if he wasn't he would have noticed that Youngjae was ignoring the elder. He does notice, after barely two days, and he doesn't like it, because he cares. And he wants Youngjae to fix it. 

Fix it. But he didn't do anything bad. It's Jaebeom who broke whatever kind of friendship that could have existed between them. It's his fault. Why would Youngjae need to fix it ? Shouldn't Jaebeom be the one to apologize ? He almost… raped him.   
  


"Rape you ?" Jinyoung repeats, shocked. "Youngjae, he wouldn't do that !" Mark shakes his head firmly to show his agreement. Yugyeom shoots Youngjae a worried look. He knows how scared and disgusted he's felt after that night.   
  


Jaebeom has gone deeper into the forest to pick up some wood for the fire. The four of them are settling down, taking care of the beds and the food. Youngjae plays with the strap of his bag, biting his lips. "Well it… it felt like that, okay ? He pinned me down and ripped my clothes and told me he could… he…" He has to close his eyes, shivering at the memory. Maybe he's overreacting. He doesn't know Jaebeom well, but he's quite sure he indeed wouldn't do  _ that _ . Still it was… He purposefully scared him. Why would he want to befriend someone who takes pleasure in making him feel endangered and vulnerable ?   
  


He jumps when he feels a hand on his shoulder. Jinyoung is looking down at him, his stare serious. "I swear to you, Youngjae, that he would never do anything like that. Not to you, not to anyone." Youngjae purses his lips but nods, looking away. It's a bit embarrassing. He doesn't  _ want _ to say bad things about Jaebeom in front of his best friend. He just… doesn't have any good things to say. 

"He's a good person, even if you can't see it yet." Jinyoung sits down next to him, and the other two carry on with their work, pretending they don't hear. "But he really  _ is  _ a jokester and I can understand he made you feel uncomfortable. I think  _ he  _ has understood it too by now." He gives Youngjae another one of those strange looks, pretty much emotionless and yet he's pretty sure he's trying to convince him of something. "Youngjae. How would you feel, if one of the boys you're traveling with, a boy you're  _ helping _ , befriends everyone else but ignores  _ you  _ ?"  
  


Youngjae looks down, trying not to feel guilty. He shouldn't, none of that is his fault ! Jaebeom should feel guilty. And whatever he's feeling about Youngjae ignoring him, he deserves. If he was less of a douche it wouldn't have happened. Yet… Youngjae really hates making other people feel sad. He's probably a bit too caring.

"Is he even capable of feeling those kinds of things ?" he asks bitterly. Jinyoung raises a brow at him. Why do they always do that ? It's scary as fuck, even more so when it's Jinyoung. He also looks pretty irritated. If Yugyeom wasn't keeping an eye on them it would have been enough for his heart to skip a bit. 

"Of course he is." Jinyoung answers quietly. "I told you, he's a normal person. Do you really think he doesn't care ?"  
  


Honestly ? Yes. Yes, he does. Jaebeom hasn't shown he felt anything about the whole situation, or even that he noticed any change of behaviour from Youngjae. He hasn't looked sad, or angry, or frustrated. He's been… the usual. Dark and unbothered and from time to time his loud laugh made Youngjae jump awake at night.   
  


Jinyoung sighs. The hand on his shoulder squeezes lightly. "Think about it, Youngjae." he states firmly and then he gets up. "You should talk to him about this." 

End of the discussion. 

Youngjae does. Not talk to him, of course, at least not immediately after. But thinking about it, he does. And he ends up actually feeling guilty. Yugyeom tells him he doesn't need to, and he agrees, but he just does. He didn't mean to make Jaebeom feel, well, sad or something. He just wants to feel safe. And the further he is from Jaebeom, the safer he feels.   
  


However, he does realise that nothing good can happen if he keeps that tension between them unresolved. He  _ should  _ fix it. Jaebeom seems to be tired of trying to talk to him, like he's given up, so really, it's all on Youngjae. "I'll talk to him." he assures Jinyoung later that night. He gets a nod and a smile. That's good enough for now. He does wonder, though… how is he gonna do that ?  
  


He acts on it two nights later. Every night two of them are on guard duty, they take turns staying awake in front of the fire, to prevent it from going out and also so no one steals their stuff while they're asleep. It's often Jaebeom, because he seems to need less sleep than the others. It's very rarely Youngjae, for the opposite reason. They all noticed after a few days that he gets really snappy if he doesn't get a good night of sleep.   
  


Yet this particular night he wakes up thirsty around 2am, and realises with a great amount of despair that his water bottle is empty. He would borrow Yugyeom's, but the boy is fast asleep, drooling onto Youngjae's sleeve, and the picture is too cute for Youngjae to wake him up.   
  


As quietly and slowly as he can, he moves his arm from under his friend's head, trying his hardest not to disturb him. Then he gets up and looks around.   
  


Of course, Jaebeom isn't just sitting down in front of the fire, he's actually laying on the ground next to it, eyes fixed on the stars and arms crossed under his head. He doesn't look like he's keeping watch on anything, but Youngjae isn't going to scold him, because he knows from experience that Jaebeom is actually much more observant than he seems. Also because he would never dare scolding Jaebeom. Not when even talking to him is so scary.   
  


He sits down next to him quietly. It would be the perfect moment, he thinks, to talk about what happened last time like Jinyoung wanted him too. They're alone and they're calm and although Jaebeom doesn't show any sign that he's noticed him yet, he also doesn't tell him to fuck off, which is probably a good start.   
  


He takes a deep breath, tries to find something interesting or… even just something nice to say. But it's hard and Jaebeom doesn't seem like he  _ wants  _ to talk, so he takes his time, and it's only a few minutes later that he actually starts talking.   
  


"Do you want me to take your place ?" he ends up asking. "You must be tired."

Jaebeom doesn't move. He keeps looking up at the night sky and his voice is very deep when he answers, "I'm fine."  
  


Youngjae sighs. Only two words. Usually he would have teased him by saying that as a Prince, he'd need his beauty sleep or that he was too weak to watch over them or something. But now he barely spares him a look and he doesn't talk. He looks kinda mad. This is going to be difficult.   
  


He stares at the fire, playing nervously with his fingers, hesitating until Jaebeom sighs. "You're bad at this." he says curtly.  
  


Youngjae watches, surprised, as the elder sits up and cocks an eyebrow at him. His eyes are cold, dark, scolding even. He really, really seems angry.   
  


"I don't know where to start…" Youngjae admits, looking down. He still doesn't understand why he would have to be the one feeling embarrassed when he wasn't the one who did something wrong in the first place, but, well… if it can help things get better between them, it's probably worth it. And it's not like Jaebeom is going to feel guilty or apologize first anyway. 

"You've been ignoring me." It's not a question, it's a statement, a very stern one and Youngjae can only nod in answer. Yes, he has. He can't deny that. 

"Yeah… But it's not because I -- I mean… You really scared me last time…" 

Jaebeom scoffs. "Yeah, I noticed," he huffs, his voice filled with sarcasm. Probably a bit of bitterness too. Great. So Youngjae  _ really _ has made him mad. That's just  _ perfect. _

"Yeah… So, uhm… I'm not very… Comfortable with being around you right now. Because, you know, even if I tell myself that you won't do anything to me I can't help but feel… Uneasy… So that's why I've been… uuh…"   
  


Jaebeom is right. He's bad at this. "It's easier that way. For me." he concludes, trying to look convinced of what he just said even though he knows he probably only made things even worse between them. He's good with words usually. And not that shy. But Jaebeom is also really intimidating and there's still that weird feeling of danger around him, so really he can't do anything about it.   
  


He raises his brow higher. "But ?" he asks, as if Youngjae hadn't been clear he had finished his explanation. 

"No buts. That's… That's it." he stutters. There's nothing to add. He can't feel relaxed when he's with Jaebeom, so he avoids him. It should be easy to understand.   
  


Apparently not. Jaebeom pouts and looks down, he looks surprisingly sad. "Awww…" he makes. Youngjae feels it. His disappointment is too obvious, too noticeable for it not to be a trap. Jaebeom wants him to ask. And while he knows he shouldn't, he thinks… Maybe if he plays along Jaebeom won't be mad anymore.   
  


He chooses to ignore the voice in his head telling him that this is ridiculous, that  _ he  _ should be the mad one. He asks anyways. "...Why do you look so disappointed ?"   
  


Of course, Jaebeom smirks. He also looks at Youngjae, almost for the first time of the night and his gaze is too mischievous, he feels the bad joke coming before he even hears it. "Well, what can I say…" he chuckles. "I love butts." 

"Oh shut up !" Youngjae complains, which only earns him a loud laugh. He hasn't missed this. At all. "Do you really think you're gonna solve this all by making dirty sexual jokes ?!"   
  


"Don't play innocent with me, Prince." Jaebeom's smirk widens and he gets a bit closer. Youngjae shifts back. "I know you actually  _ like _ my sexual innuendos." 

"I surely don't." 

"Yeah ? Why did you enjoy how I sat on your lap last time then ?"

"I  _ didn't _ !" Youngjae frowns. He can't believe what he's hearing. 

"You popped a boner though."

"What ?!" Youngjae shrieks, horrified. "What are you even saying ?! I was scared shitless, of course I didn't !" 

Jaebeom grins and points to his own face. "Those little eyes saw it." he assures.

"Yeah ? Well, those little eyes need glasses then." he snaps, he's getting annoyed. Jaebeom is doing it again. He got Youngjae angry and scared last time and he  _ knows _ it and he's doing it  _ again. _   
  


And he laughs. Loud, hard. "If you want me to see your dick better, Prince, glasses won't help. A lesser amount of clothes, though, maybe…"   
  


Youngjae can't help it. He covers his face with his hands and he laughs. It's mostly from despair, and from shock at the blunt choice of words, but he also has to admit… Jaebeom's humour is weird and always unexpected and while it might take a while for him to get used to it, sometimes it's a tiny bit funny. Really, really tiny bit. 

As his shoulders shake at the rhythm of his chuckles, he thinks he's probably going crazy. Jaebeom is ending his sanity. And he's doing this so easily, Youngjae didn't know his brain was so weak.  
  


He looks proud, when Youngjae has calmed down enough to look up at him again. He's sitting straighter, staring at Youngjae with amused eyes and a satisfied grin. This way, he almost looks like a child. "I made you laugh." he states happily. 

"No. I mean, yes, but it wasn't a genuine laugh. It was from disbelief, because I'm always surprised by how much I can't stand you." he answers. Expect maybe… he's grinning too. 

"That's how you see it." Jaebeom shrugs and smiles. "In my point of view, I made a joke, and you laughed. That's a very friendly thing to do. So we're friends now."   
  


Youngjae can't believe what he's hearing. Friends ?  _ Friends ?! _ Five minutes ago they were pretty much angry at each other and now Jaebeom wants to be his  _ friend _ ? Just because he's annoyed him enough to make him go hysterical. This definitely isn't a conventional way of making friends.   
  


"Oh my god," he exclaims. "Is that what you've been trying to do all along ? You've been bothering me with your awful jokes because you wanted us to be friends ?!"

"What ? No, I don't  _ want _ to be your friend, I don't care. We just are. That's the rule." Yeah, right. His huge smile says otherwise though. He doesn't just look happy, he also looks so proud of himself. Like he's just achieved something unbelievable. Which, he didn't. He barely made Youngjae chuckle.   
  


"Anyway," Jaebeom says, suddenly getting up. "Let's get that bottle filled, huh ? There's a river nearby, but we gotta be fast. We can't leave them alone for too long." He nods towards where the other three are still sleeping, while he reaches a hand for Youngjae to help him up. He takes it, of course, but he's surprised at the sudden act of kindness. Also at his words.

"Wait, you noticed ? You  _ knew  _ I was thirsty and you didn't do anything about it ? I could have died from dehydration !"   
  


Jaebeom chuckles, ruffling Youngjae's hair as he sulks. He has, once again, underestimated how observant and smart the elder is. He should be used to it by now, but it still impresses him every time. "I'm doing something about it  _ now _ . You're a bit of a drama queen, ain't you ? Maybe I should start calling you Princess."

"Don't you dare." Youngjae shoots him a warning look. 'Prince', he can bear with it, because it's, well, an absolute truth. But 'Princess', no. No way.   
  


The walk to the river is short and it's mostly filled with Jaebeom's annoying puns and Youngjae's tired sighs. At some point when they're walking back to their small camp, though, he gets to ask. "Why do you always annoy  _ me  _ anyway ? If it's the way you befriend people, you should be like that with Yugyeommie too. Why only me ?" he knows he sounds whiny, but he's too tired to care really. Jaebeom gives him a smug grin and a slow once over. "Do you really wanna know the answer ?" he asks, his tone teasing already. 

"To be honest, no, probably not. But come on, spill."  
  


Once again, Jaebeom licks his lips as he stares at him, his eyes glinting with the same sparkle as the previous night. Not the dark and dangerous one, no, the amused one. The one that appears every time Jaebeom thinks he's going to be funny. "Well, as I told you earlier, I like butts. And yours is…" 

Youngjae cuts him off by pushing him hard, hitting his shoulders. "Gosh, SHUT UP !"   
  


Jaebeom is still laughing when they get back to the fire and he sends him to bed between his breathless chuckles, assuring him that he'll be fine being awake a few more hours. When Youngjae lies back down next to Yugyeom, letting him snuggle against him in his sleep, he looks up at the stars. The sky is clear this night, no clouds in view and the moon is very pretty, although still reduced to a small crescent. The stars shine bright, so does the fire, and Youngjae realises that although it's nighttime, and he's lying on a dirty mattress, where thousands of insects were probably sleeping too, beside three men he barely knows, including one who can't stop making sexual advances to him, he actually feels kinda safe.

Travellers do bond around a bonfire, he figures, grinning at the sky. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know Jaebeom isn't the best person yet... Promise he'll get better ^^ One of my friends yelled at me because they didn't agree with how Jinyoung told Youngjae to fix it... I thought they would be more angry at Jaebeom, he's the real asshole here isn't he ? What do you think ? ;)


	4. First Dangers pt.1

The mule is great. It's still very wary of Jaebeom and Mark, because they are so loud and it easily gets scared. Youngjae has realised a while ago that they bought quite a coward. A few times already it has almost run away with their food and clothes in the middle of the night because of Jaebeom's laugh. Each time Youngjae had to struggle against it, because for some reason he has been the one assigned to taking care of it.   
  


He doesn't mind. He likes animals, even if this particular one is a bit of a smelly wimp. He had a dog when he was still living in the castle, he absolutely loved her. He still does, actually. She was cute and fluffy and so much tinier than the hunting dogs that noblemen seem to like. He misses her quite a lot.   
  


Sometimes he thinks about the castle. His parents, his friends, how clean it was, how good was the food. How he didn't have to sleep each night with insects crawling disgustingly on his skin. When he does think about it he often feels the urge to go back. He could. He could just turn back and walk to the capital, go home, go see his mother.   
  


But he can't. No matter how tiring and uncomfortable he is here, he has to do it. He needs to. And Yugyeom is here with him. His absolute best friend. With him, he can do anything. 

The mule is great, it's cute and funny and useful, but Youngjae thinks he has probably bought the slowest one there was in the shop. Because they have to walk at the same pace as it, it takes them four days in total to find the end of the forest, and one more to reach the next city. It's a big one and Youngjae is delighted. The big drawback of the whole travelling thing, apart from the insects, is the fact that Yugyeom and Youngjae are never alone together anymore. They have no privacy at all, there's no way they can have important conversations and gossip when the other three are constantly beside them.   
  


It's a bit dumb, but he kinda misses his best friend. Yeah, he's here, he's right next to him all the time, they cuddle together every night and can't seem to leave each other for more than five minutes. But they're not just friends, they're confidants too, they tell each other everything, always. Yugyeom is the only person Youngjae hasn't kept any secret from since he became his personal attendant. And he misses it, misses being able to talk his mind carelessly, to share his worries. Because he has lots of them. 

  
So when Jinyoung announces that they'll finally get to see a city, they get super excited. It means they'll have a day of rest, that they'll be able to rent a room just for the two of them, to bathe and eat actual, good food too ! (Jaebeom is a good cook, he really is, but what they eat doesn't come close to what he was used to at the castle.)   
  


They let their joy be known with cheers and laughs and wide smiles, Youngjae loves those smiles on Yugyeom's face. Mark smiles at them in a found way, he often says that they are really cute because of how tiny they are. It's stupid though, they're both taller than him. Jinyoung hits Jaebeom's head when he calls them childish, but honestly, by now Youngjae has learned it was nothing but friendly. Jaebeom has started to be more of a decent guy these days. He has no shame, and his jokes are awful still. But he hasn't scared Youngjae as much as he had that first day.   
  


Because they are "so adorable, Nyoungie, look at them !" Mark insists that they let Yugyeom and Youngjae walk freely in the city while the three oldest go buy more food and reserve rooms at the best hostel they can find. It's so big, not quite like the capital, but definitely bigger than the town in which they met their guides, Youngjae already knows he and Yugyeom are going to spend the whole afternoon shopping, he needs new clothes anyway. The ones he has still have some holes here and there…   
  


So Youngjae hugs Yugyeom's arm as they walk, looking at the shops, trying to decide which one they want to enter first. The streets are wide but crowded, people selling fruits and vegetables and lots of spices, it smells so damn good, Youngjae has never smelled something so wonderful. He had forgotten that the more they walk to the west of the country, the more exotic food they'll start finding. He wants to try it all, no matter how much fun he's having here with Yugyeom, listening to the yells of the vendors and looking around in awe, he can't wait to go to the hostel to taste traditional food there.   


Except they don't have much time to have fun, not nearly enough. They're walking down the main street, laughing together, Youngjae clinging to his younger friend with all he has when they hear someone calling Yugyeom's name. 

  
They look around, confused. It could have been someone else, another Yugyeom, but the voice sounded frantic and panicked and when they hear it again, it's closer and louder and it's definitely Jaebeom's.  
  


"Here !" Yugyeom yells back. "We're here !" Youngjae thinks he hears a deep "for fuck's sake" as an answer and seconds later Jaebeom is making his way through the crowd, hurriedly squeezing himself between the numerous bodies hindering him. Yugyeom and Youngjae watch him with confused eyes.  
  


"We've been looking for you, what the fuck are you doing here ?!" he screams as he eventually succeeds in joining them. Youngjae, not understanding the matter, answers:

"... Walking ? Wha-- _ Ah  _ !" He doesn't let him finish his sentence. Jaebeom just clicks his tongue and a second later he grasps one wrist of each boy and he drags them away from the crowd. They both let out a shocked yelp and almost trip as they try to follow.  
  


Jaebeom runs to a dark and empty alley, Youngjae hates it. It smells bad here, and there's garbage everywhere. Jaebeom is holding a weird red cloth in his hands, it looks worn-out and a bit dirty; in one word, it's super ugly. He hands it to him and tells him, "Wear this." Youngjae takes it doubtfully and eyes it without hiding his disgust. Turns out it's a cape, with a big hood. 

"No ?" he answers. He knows he's been a spoiled kid, as a Prince, but he's rarely seen such an ugly piece of clothing. "Why should I ?" 

"Because you need to hide your  _ fucking  _ face !" Jaebeom groans, and it's only then that Youngjae realises that he's swearing quite a lot and that he looks very angry. More than ever. 

"Yeah, right. Because people will guess I'm a Prince, right ?" he answers with a sarcastic smile. "But they don't even know what I look like. I'll be hella suspicious if I walk around with this… ugly… disgusting thing."

"Haven't I taught you to pay attention to your surroundings ?!" Jaebeom snaps, his cheeks almost red from his anger and suddenly there are several pieces of papers shoved into Youngjae's face. He lowers them to take a better look at them and the first thing he realises is that… well, it's a portrait. One that would be very very accurate if it was supposed to represent Youngjae. And it probably is, since the text below explains that the royal family is searching for a certain Choi Youngjae, the Crown Prince. They even promise a reward for the one who would bring him back. A huge one.   
  


The papers look like they've been ripped off from something, the edges are completely destroyed. There's a dozen of them. "Those posters are  _ everywhere  _ in town !" Jaebeom whisper-yells. He's obviously trying to be discreet, which is rare. He hasn't talked loudly since he called Yugyeom, and if Youngjae had wondered why the traveller hadn't called his name too, now he knows why. "You won't  _ walk around _ wearing this because we're leaving. Now. But you better put this on before someone recognises you !" 

  
The way he urges him on makes him realize that it's a serious issue, but what makes him really react is when they hear hurried steps and suddenly Jinyoung joins them. 

"Ah, here you are ! What are you doing, quick, put in on and let's leave, Mark is waiting for us with the food !"  
  


He sounds frantic, so Youngjae does and he thinks that Jaebeom is going to be mad that he obeyed Jinyoung so quickly when he's been arguing with him so much. But when he gets his head through the smelly fabric, Jaebeom has already moved and he's now carefully peeking behind the wall, probably trying to spot guards or bounty hunters. It really is a serious matter. He's never seen Jaebeom looking so focused. Most of the time he's just… so laid back. He doesn't ever  _ care _ .  
  


When the four of them enter the main street once more, Youngjae wants to cling to Yugyeom again, this time not because of excitement, but because of fear. He was so chill just a while ago, now he feels wary of everything. Fuck his parents. They ruined what could have been his only great night since he left.   
  


But Jaebeom doesn't let him, as soon as he tries getting closer to Yugyeom he feels a firm arm wrapping around his shoulders, and then he stumbles as he's forced to walk faster. Jaebeom also lowers the hood on his face so it covers his eyes, he almost can't see anything. 

"Hey, I can walk by myself just fine !" he complains, a bit whiny. 

"Shut the fuck up, Pr-- dude. Don't say a single word."  
  


It makes Youngjae feel uncomfortable, how angry Jaebeom seems to be… and how this time it's obviously directed at him. But it also makes him realize how dangerous it is for him, for them, to be escorting him like that. How they could get arrested and sent to jail, even if they've done nothing but what Youngjae asked for. 

Well, except for a few holes in his clothes. 

For the first time, as they finally find the way out of the city and run to the nearest grove to hide between the trees, Youngjae feels grateful. He has, honestly, rarely felt thankful for anything. The guards who protected him at the castle, the people who taught him things, cooked him things… they only ever did it because it was their job and if they didn't they wouldn't have money and they would probably die.   
  


But Jinyoung, Mark and Jaebeom are actually taking risks. They  _ could _ die because of him. They could have run out of the city and left him there for the guards to find and send back to the castle. They could have refused guiding them and gone away, leaving Yugyeom and him lost by themselves. Instead they said yes, thanks to Jinyoung and whatever it was that he told Jaebeom, and now they're protecting him and caring for him and being loyal to him while barely asking for anything but food and a damn mule in return.    
  


Yeah. He's really thankful. 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on twitter: @SSen_333


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